Fairy 7
He woke some time later when the bus slowed down. They were on the outskirts of Dublin. He nudged the girl and she blinked open her eyes. Confusion shone in her eyes as she groggily became aware of her surroundings. The expression on her face finally showed that she recognized her companion's face.
"where are we?" she whispered.
"on the out skirts of Dublin it looks like" he said
He sounded sleepy too so she smiled at him, absurdly grateful she wasn't the only one exhausted by their trek. The bus turned off the road in another small village and stopped in front of another inn.
"This would be our stop" said Nuada into her ear.
She sat up slowly and made ready to get off the bus. It slowed to a stop and the bus driver opened the doors. The tour guide stood up and started directing people off the bus. Nuada grabbed her hand and started leading her through the standing passengers getting their things. They gradually made their way out the door through the crowd of other passengers. While the guide was frantically trying to organize the group
Nuada led her into a group of other tourists and they slipped away down the street.
"we will have to walk again but this time it is somewhat closer" said Nuada
She sighed and reluctantly trudged after him. She had hoped they would be riding all the way into Dublin at least. Fortunately for her tired feet he was right and they were only going as far as a bridge. They passed over it in silence pausing occasionally to let a bicyclist pass by. On the other side of the bridge Nuada cut through a vacant lot and exited on a street below the bridge.
It was apparently some sort of warehouse district with a few docks along the river. Most of which appeared to be abandoned a long time ago. Nuada walked steadily towards a building right next to the bridge. He walked up to a side door and tapped the top of the broken doorknob. The broken knob vanished and Nuada turned the new knob and opened the door. He quickly ushered her inside the darkened warehouse and closed the door behind her.
The building was huge dust filled and echoeingly empty. Nuada walked towards the offices at the back and she followed him. He opened that door moved a file cabinet and the wall moved with it. A set of rickety wooden stairs was behind the wall. Nuada stepped on the first step and turned to grab her hand. There was no light for the walkway because most of the people didn't need light to see or they could produce their own lights. She gratefully grabbed it and stepped down. The door closed behind her and she was plunged into darkness.
"ah Nuada can you get the light" said Danny
"there is none just step down I have you" he said
"ok why wouldn't they put a light on some stairs?" she said
"most of us can see in the dark, watch this step it feels loose" he said
she stepped down and it wobbled. She grabbed the hand rail with her other hand.
"cool" said Danny
he wasn't sure if she was referring to the step or him. He felt her squeeze his hand every time she was about to step down. They finally reached the bottom and Danny sighed in relief she heard him chuckle softly and then he squeezed her hand In reassurance.
"stay right there" he said
then he let go of her hand and she could hear him moving forward. She heard him whisper a few words and a small glowing ball of light drifted up to the ceiling.
"much better?" he queried
she nodded yes nervously. He shook his head in disbelief, one of the folk should not fear the dark. He turned back to the wall and began tapping on the wall as if pushing buttons, which in fact he was. The wall pealed back to reveal a huge underground market.. Danny's mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at what he had revealed.
Nuada extended his hand to her and Danny dazedly stepped forward and rested her hand in his. He led her inside and the door closed behind them. He promptly blended in with the crowd and wove his way through it, all the while dragging Danny along behind him every time she stopped to stare at something. She was privately glad Nuada knew where he was going because she would've been lost in the first five minutes without him.
All around her strange creatures conversed in several strange languages. Other shopped or sold their wares. In a few places there were dancers and obvious houses of ill repute. They were passing one of these when a young man beckoned to her.
She stared at him in shock. He was drop dead gorgeous with a face a model would envy. Long black hair framed an angular fave with a pair of eyes so green they glowed. She started to step forward and felt Nuada tighten his grip and then step between them.
"Look elsewhere Succubus" said Nuada
the male just chuckled in a voice that sounded like music to her ears. Nuada led her quickly away from him and she felt like she was waking up from a particularly good dream. Nuada suddenly stopped and she promptly ran into his backside.
"sorry she said
"do not worry about it now keep your eyes on me before something decides to make you dinner" said Nuada
she rubbed her nose and glared at him she had meant she was sorry for running into him. Nuada wanted to get her out of the market proper before something decided to make her lunch. She looked too human for her own good. He would have to find a way to change that little problem before she got hurt. He took her to one of his old lairs and shut all the doors and windows. Danny stood in the center of the room and stared at her surroundings.
"we have a few days until Link sends word until then there is much I must teach you" said Nuada
Abe was swimming in the lake moving farther and farther from shore. Red's voice and Liz's laughter brought a pang of heartache to his chest. He still didn't know why he had agreed to go with them to the lake. Maybe it was because Liz bribed him with his favorite food. All he knew was he had a need to just get away when they began getting a kissy and giggly. He dove under the water and kept going towards the rocks in the lakes center.
Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw some one following him. He paused in the water and turned his whole body. It couldn't be red he didn't swim and Liz would never be able to keep up with him. There it was again a flash of red again. Just when he was convinced he was seeing things and was going to move on he saw her. She swam right up to him and greeted him. Abe mumbled a shy hello and began turning away from her. He was in no mood for flirting fae right now.
"wait please I must deliver a message to you" said the woman.
Abraham sighed and bubbles rose to the surface
"say it fast" said Abe
"first are you Abe sapian?" asked the woman
Abe looked at her impatiently before replying
"yes"
"then I must tell you The lady Nuala lives again and she requires your aid" said the woman
Abe blinked in shock and his mouth went dry. Which was quite a feat since he was under the water.
"say what?" said Abe
his mind was going several directions at once and at first he thought this was some sort of sick joke.
"she has been resurrected along side her brother and then kidnapped by the wizard who returned her to this world" explained the selkie.
For that's what she was Abe identified her absently while his mind struggled with what she said. Then suddenly Abe grabbed her arm and swam towards shore.
"hey what are you doing where are we going?" said the woman.
She made no effort to pull out of his grip as Abe swam full bore for the shore. He surfaced by the dock.
"Red!" Abe yelled.
He had to yell a few more times before red pulled himself out of Liz's arms to see what his friend wanted.
"what man this better be good?" said red
he was re-buckling his pants as he walked out onto the small dock. The dock groaned under his weight as he kneeled next to Abe's head.
"well what is it?" said red
Abe pulled his guest to the surface.
"hey way to go pal she's hot" said Red
Abe scoffed and looked at red
"she's alive" said Abe
"well of course she's alive she looking right at us man" said red
Liz walked out on the dock
"i don't think he means her honey" said Liz
"no of course not it's Nuala she's alive" said Abe
"hey man when you gonna let that go we saw it happen you were there remember" said red
Abe shook his head to keep the despair from overwhelming him.
"red hear him out" said Liz
"thank you Liz" said Abe
Abe moved the selkie woman closer.
"tell them what you told me" said Abe
"the princess Nuala has been resurrected and kidnapped by an old enemy of her father's" said the selkie
red glared at her
"if this is a joke lady your not going to live long enough to regret it's bad taste" said red Abe looked up at his friend and said "she needs our help"